Before Charmed Again
by Casie01
Summary: What happened after Prue and Piper were attacked by Shax? Oneshot


**A/N I wrote this Charmed story back in 2007. I had always wondered what happened between All Hell Breaks Loose and Charmed Again so I wrote what I thought should have happened. I'd love to see some Reviews good and bad. Thanks for reading and enjoy...**

Prue Halliwell called out for her sister Phoebe but no response game. Prue, Phoebe, and their sister Piper are the Charmed Ones. Three sisters who are the most powerful good witches of all times. They have sworn to protect innocents from demons and warlocks. Prue called out again but still no answer. Piper called for Phoebe hoping she would hear her but there was nothing but silence coming from their attic where they had seen Phoebe run to. What they couldn't remember was this had already happened before and Phoebe was now in the underworld...

On this particular day Phoebe had a premonition of a predominate doctor being killed by the Sources personal assistant Shax. The sisters did save the good doctor but in the process of vanquishing Shax, Prue and Piper had their magic exposed to the entire world. Their house was over taken by reporters and crazy wackos who thought they were witches. One shot and killed Piper. In an effort to save Piper, Phoebe made a deal with the Source. He would have Tempus turn back time so Piper would survive and Phoebe would stay in the underworld forever. Phoebe agreed on the condition that Prue and Piper would be warned that Shax would send them both thru a wall. The Source did not keep all his promises they were never warned.

When Prue called for Phoebe no answer ever came and within moments the front door to the manor swung open. Trying to protect Dr. Griffiths, Prue was sent flying thru a wall landing in the conservatory barely alive. Piper ran over to try and help but Shax sent her thru a wall with one quick convulsive blow. With no one to protect Dr. Griffiths Shax sent him thru the dining room window he died instantly. Shax left Prue and Piper to die quite confident he had ended the power of three.

Down in the underworld demons were celebrating at the news of the Charmed ones demise. Evil could finally rule again. But The Source knew he still had work to do to insure the Charmed Ones had no chance of being saved. He allowed Shax to celebrate and sent one of his guards to take care of Phoebe, Leo, and Cole.

Cole was having second thoughts about letting Phoebe give up her life. He couldn't imagine his beloved spending the rest of her life in the hell that he called home. He paced around his lair watching at Phoebe clung to Leo praying that her sisters were ok she had no way of knowing for sure. Cole heard whispers from far away. He listened closely.

"Haha those damn witches are finally done with. Now we take care of the other sister that whitelighter and of course the traitor Belthazor". Cole ran back into his lair and told Leo to get Phoebe out of the underworld quickly there were demons after them.

"Cole what about the deal I made with the source. If I don't keep it he'll kill Piper and Prue."

"Phoebe I don't think the source has any intention of keeping his side of the deal you need to go make sure your sisters are ok. I'll shimmer somewhere else to throw the bounty hunters off our track and meet you at the manor" Cole told her. Leo held on to Phoebe and orbed to the manor neither knew what to expect.

Leo and Phoebe orbed into the manor and the first thing they saw was the mangled body of Dr. Griffiths. "PRUE! PIPER! Where are you?" Phoebe called out just as her sisters had called out for her there was no answer. She ran to the conservatory and saw what she feared the most in this world, the lifeless body of her beloved sisters. She ran to her sister grabbing onto the closest one, Piper, and screamed out for Leo. Leo ran in only to see his wife and sister-in-law lying in the once calm room. Phoebe was giving Piper CPR hoping it would help keep her sister alive. Leo looked in horror at his wife lying there lifeless her once bright brown eyes and glowing face where ashen and sad looking. He turned to Prue who looked even worse. While Phoebe attended to Piper Leo knelt down next to Prue and placed his hands over her body hoping his powers would work.

As Leo tried to heal Prue her sprit lifted out of her body and ascended to the heavens. "What's going on?" Prue said. She looked around there were clouds everywhere. Someone was walking towards her she was scared she had no idea what was going on all she could remember was Shax throwing her through a wall. Slowly the body took form and Prue realized it was her grandmother and behind her was her mother.

"Mom? Grams? What's going on here?" she asked puzzled.

"Prue honey I hate to tell you this but….you died" Patty said almost in tears.

"What? But..but what about Piper is she ok? And Phoebe what about her I don't know what happened to her she wasn't there when we called out?"

Grams told Prue all about what had happened with Shax and them being exposed as witches. Then she told Prue that Piper was hurt as well. "Will she be o.k.?" Prue asked.

"No one knows that yet. We don't know what her destiny is yet. It is the Charmed ones destiny to have one sister die though." Grams told her.

"What? Why would it be our destiny to have one die? That would let evil rule."

"No Prue it wouldn't see there is another sister. You have a third sister, Paige. Sam and I were together after your father and I got pregnant we couldn't tell anyone so we gave her up for adoption. It turns out destiny knows no bounds and it was predestined for you, Piper, or Phoebe to die at this point in your lives and the third sister to reconstitute the Charmed line." Patty explained.

Back in the manor Leo knew Prue would never come back. His eyes met with Phoebe's and the look in his eyes was all she needed to know her sister was gone forever. Phoebe stopped CPR on Piper and let Leo take over trying to save her only other sister. Nothing happened. He tried again and again with the same results.

Like Prue Piper's spirit ascended to the heavens. Prue watched in horror as her sister died. She turned to Grams and Patty. "Please you have to do something before they know she's here. It can't be too late. My baby sister can't have the same fate as me. Please do something." Prue begged.

Grams and Patty told Prue to stay there if there plan was going to work Piper could not see Prue right now. They left Prue where she was at and walked over to the entrance to heaven and waited for Piper. When her spirit finally arrived Piper looked confused to be seeing her Mother and Grandmother, they were dead she couldn't be dead could she?

"Mom? Grams? What's happening? Am I dead?" Piper asked

"No sweetie, not yet. You need to hold on to life so Leo can heal you. Your sisters need you." Patty told her.

"Your destiny still awaits" Grams said.

Piper thinking everything was ok back at home allowed her spirit to head back to earth and to her body sprawled out in the manor.

"Leo! Try again. I can't lose both of my sisters. Please save her" Phoebe cried as Cole held on to her.

Leo put his hands over Piper one last time and prayed that the elders would give him enough power to save his beloved wife. Slowly his hand's lit up, his powers working this time and slowly Piper came back to them. The first thing Piper saw when she opened her eyes was her husband's eyes. She saw the relief in his eyes. She smiled up at him but before Piper could say anything she slowly saw Leo's face change from relief to pain. Piper turned her head to where she had seen Prue land moments before her own violent attack and hoped with every fiber of her being to see Prue staring back at her. Instead Piper's worse fear appeared before her. Rather than a smiling Prue she saw Phoebe cradling a lifeless Prue sobbing and being consoled by Cole. Piper heard Phoebe cry out "Why? Why both of my sisters? How do I go on without them in my life?" Piper still being attended to by Leo called out to Phoebe.

Phoebe couldn't believe when she heard her sister's voice. She almost thought it was a dream but before her was her big sister Piper alive and well. Phoebe wasn't alone. But not all of Phoebe's pain went away in that moment. She and Piper still had a lifetime to live without Prue. How would they carry on with their destiny? Could they go on with this Charmed gig? So many questions flew through their minds but the pain over took the questions. Piper clung to her sisters both living and dead. Cole and Leo sat with them and they all wept and grieved for the fallen Charmed One.

Like most moments in the Halliwell manor this one was short lived. Seconds later the sister's friend Daryl Morris came bursting in along with paramedics. A neighbor heard the commotion and called 911 reporting seeing a man flying through a window. Luckily Daryl had fielded the call and was the first on scene. But Daryl never expected the horrific scene he would incur at the Halliwell manor. The first thing Daryl saw was Dr. Griffith's dead body in the window of the sister's dining room. He called out for the Paramedics to hurry. Not sure what else to expect he called out for any of the sisters. They were too consumed with grief to hear or answer him. Daryl entered the conservatory and saw what he never thought was possible. The family was gathered around the broken body of Prue Halliwell.

"Oh God" He cried out. Leo turned around and quickly grabbed the usually strong and composed Daryl Morris before he hit the ground. "Leo do something before it's too late. No one has seen her yet there's still time."

"No Daryl it's too late. She's gone. We almost lost Piper twice."

"Leo what do you mean?"

"I know you don't remember but we revered time to save Piper and then both she and Prue were killed. I don't know how but Piper's spirit was able to cross back over and I was able to heal her." Leo explained.

The paramedics entered the room to check on Prue and declared her officially deceased. The brought in a gurney with a black bag to put Prue in. Phoebe let go of her oldest sister kissing her on the forehead and clung to Cole. "Piper come on it's time to let her go"

In complete disbelieve of the whole situation Piper would not let the paramedics do their job. "No, no, no, she's not dead She can't be dead. Leo do something."

"Honey I can't. Please come with me"

"No, Leo she can't be dead. You can't take my sister." Leo was finally able to go pry Piper away and she clung to him and watched as her sister was taken away. Piper turned and looked at Phoebe and the two held on to one another praying nothing would ever happen to the other.

The rest of that horrible day was a blur for Phoebe and Piper. It was full of officers coming in and out of their ancestral home asking question after question. Phoebe told how she came home to the gruesome seen and I never occurred to her to call an ambulance when she discovered her dead sister and, as they told them, a knocked out Piper.

Piper told how they had met Dr. Griffiths and he was worried someone was after him. They brought him home so they could call the police but they next thing she knew she woke up with a headache. She told them she never saw who attacked them. The paramedics checked to make sure Piper was ok. They recommended her to go to the hospital for test to make sure she really was ok and didn't have any serious head injuries. Piper had no desire to be anywhere but the manor. Leo assured the paramedics he would keep a close eye on her and take her in if there was any cause for concern. They gave Leo a mild sedative for the sister's so they would be able to sleep that night.

As the day wore on the more people came to the manor police officers, paramedics, investigators, news reporters, and neighbors. It seemed like the family would never be alone again. Finally as Piper stood in the attic watching the sun set over the golden gate bridge the last intruder left her home. As Piper headed downstairs to her family she saw the open door to Prue's room. This was the same room she had grown up in but when she married Leo Prue gave her the big room and took Pipers room. That was Prue willing to do anything for her sisters. The memories of their childhood began to flow through Piper's mind. The pain over her loss began to wash over her again so slowly she shut the door unsure if or when she would ever open it again.

She made her way downstairs knowing the hell she was going through was not over yet. She saw the conservatory wall torn apart, furniture destroyed, yellow crime scene tape discouraging anyone from entering, and her late sisters blood needing to be cleaned up. She stood their wanting the nightmare to end and suddenly felt like someone was watching her. She turned around and saw her baby sister knowing that she was thinking the same things as her. They held on to one another and cried and comforted each other. They lost their mother as children, their grandmother 4 years earlier, they stood face to face with death every day but nothing could prepare them for the pain they felt that day.

Leo, Cole, Daryl, and Daryl's wife Sheila sat silently listening to the sisters comforting each other. None of them knew what words to say that could help them through this. Piper and Phoebe entered the family room and sat with the others. The sat talking about the times they had with Prue. Some moments they just sat there silent. Other times they laughed and there were times when they all wept openly. Around 11pm Phoebe turned on the TV and they watched the news where they reported what happened that day. Piper couldn't bare to watch almost having another break down. They turned on old home movies and one by one the fell asleep to the sounds of the Halliwell sister's childhood.

Leo woke up around 3am and looked down at his wife cuddled up against him. He picked her up and carried her upstairs and carefully placed them in their bed. She needed her sleep if she was going to deal with the next few days. He laid down next to her and held on to her thanking God he did not lose her.

Early that morning Piper woke up. She saw Leo next to her and thought maybe the last day had been a dream. She didn't remember everything from the night before so she didn't remember closing Prue's door so when she saw it closed like every morning she truly believed the events of the day before had never happened that was until she reached to bottom of the stairs. The conservatory was still taped off and in the family room was Cole, Phoebe, Daryl and Shelia sound asleep. Piper didn't know what to do so she entered the kitchen and did was she did best, she cooked a huge breakfast. She made pancakes, eggs, bacon, waffles, and fresh muffins from scratch. She brewed coffee, squeezed oranges for juice, and she cut fruit for everyone. She did everything to keep her hands and mind busy.

Phoebe awoke to the smell of breakfast and hoped that the events of the day before had never happened but knew that they had. She walked into the kitchen and sat and watched Piper prepare breakfast. Slowly Cole, Leo, Daryl, and Shelia joined them.

"Piper why don't you let me help you?" Shelia asked. She hadn't been around the sisters as much as she would have hoped but she was glad she could be with them now and thought how sad it was it took tragedy to bring people together.

"Oh no Shelia thank you but I need to keep my hands busy." As the other ate Piper cleaned another thing she did really well. As they finished eating Piper did the dishes.

"Piper why don't you sit down and eat" Leo pleaded. She couldn't though she had no appetite.

Phoebe remembered that their father was flying home from a business trip the day before and probably hadn't heard the news so she asked Piper who should call. They decided that Piper would tell them but they would call together. Piper felt like she should be the one to tell him being that she was now the oldest sister she had to lead the way. Slowly they dialed their father's number and listened to the ringing of his phone. "Hello?" Victor Bennett said confused about who would be calling so early in the morning most people didn't start calling him till after he had his morning coffee.

"Dad…its Piper."

"Hi Piper how are you? How are Phoebe and Prue? I miss you guys we should get together soon and catch up"

"Dad I have some bad news. Prue um….Prue…..well Dad Prue was killed yesterday by a demon."

"What? What do you mean? Can't your husband just do that special little thing that whitelighters do?"

"No Dad he can't she moved on before he was able to heal her."

"Ok sweetie I'm on my way over to your place I'll be there soon."

Victor arrived and Piper and Phoebe filled him in on what happened. Because Phoebe made an agreement with Leo and Cole that Piper would never know the whole story of what happened Victor wasn't told about the time reversal or Prue dying to save Piper.

The day wore on and the sisters talked with inspectors about what happened and told their stories over and over again. Never once changing their stories they had learned over the years how to best cover themselves. Thanks to Daryl's help.

They met with a Wiccan high priestess on how they were going to do Prue's funeral service. The picked out a casket and picked out an outfit for their sister to be buried in. They wrote the obituary that would appear in the paper the next day and the day of the funeral. The whole day was a blur.

After dinner Cole told Phoebe he was going to have to go to the underworld to throw off bounty hunters. She begged him not to go but if he didn't he was worried that demons would attack while the sisters were vulnerable or even worse at the funeral. Phoebe turned her attention away from Cole's going back under and turned her attention to her sister. Piper hadn't eaten all day she was worried about her sister. "Piper you have to eat honey if you don't you won't make it through another day"

"Phoebe I can't eat I can barely breathe right now. How do we go on with you her?"

"I don't know honey but I do know it's gonna happen one day at a time and if you don't eat you won't be any good to me or your husband and you know Prue wouldn't want you to be like this. Now don't make me do the airplane."

Piper smiled remembering how Prue had gotten Phoebe to eat as a little girl. When Phoebe wouldn't eat Prue would put food on a spoon and made funny plane sounds and brought the spoon closer to the little girl's mouth until Phoebe would eat.

"Ok you win I'll try to eat. I just don't feel hungry." Piper said but as she began to eat Piper realized how famished she really was.

In the dining room Victor asked Leo to tell them exactly what had happened he knew Piper had told him everything she knew, but could tell Phoebe was holding something back. Leo told him about the events of the day before and told how they had reversed time. "But please don't let Piper know what really happened" he told him at the end.

"What do you mean don't tell Piper what really happened?" Piper asked.

Leo looked over he hadn't seen Piper and Phoebe standing at the door way. He told her everything.

"What you mean if I hadn't died before Prue would still be alive? It's my fault. You guys made the deal with the source to save me. Why? Why did you guys do that? If you didn't make the deal Prue would still be alive." Piper cried.

"No Piper if we didn't turn back time you and Prue would have died. The police were going to shoot Prue just before we reversed time it's not your fault this is no one's fault." Phoebe explained.

"No? Then why hide this from me in the first place?" She ran up to her room. Rittled with guilt once again. She was the cause of her sister death. Prue laid down her life for her sister and now Piper was alive and Prue was dead. How could she ever go on with life knowing that? She entered her bathroom and reached into the medicine cabinet and took out the bottle of sedatives that the paramedics gave Leo and knew if she took enough of this she could be with her sister and all this pain would be over. She entered her bedroom and there sitting on her bed was Phoebe and Leo. They looked in her hand and saw the bottle and knew what she was thinking. "Leo please give Piper and I sometime alone" Leo didn't want to leave but knew Phoebe would take care of his wife and he could orb in at a moment's notice.

"Piper what are you thinking? You're gonna kill yourself?"

"Phoebe I'm the reason Prue is dead. I should be dead. Not her."

"Ok maybe you were supposed to die but you didn't and instead of looking at this as a negative look at it as a second chance at life. You're obviously meant to be here or we wouldn't have been able to turn back time and Leo wouldn't have been able to heal you. There's a reason for everything which means there's a reason for this."

"But Phoebe…."

"But nothing Piper I can't live without you. If you don't wanta live for yourself live for me for now until you can go on with your life again. Give me the pills"

Piper handed the bottle over and collapsed into her sister's arms "Phoebe I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."

Phoebe usually the young irresponsible sister comforted her sister and cried with her. They had never cried as many tears as they had cried the last two days. Finally the grief turned into exhaustion and the two fell asleep on Piper's bed clinging to one another. They hadn't slept in the same bed together sense Phoebe was afraid of the dark and Piper was the only one that would let her sleep in her bed. But now the roles were reversed Piper was being tended to by Phoebe not the other way around.

The next day wore on like the day before, everyone walked around like zombies. There were call's to make and food to prepare. A house to clean and finally they all went to sleep. That is except Piper she had an idea forming in her mind. She was going to get Prue back. All she had to do was reword a spell they had recited years ago and it would bring back her sister.

She headed up to the attic confident she would bring back her sister.


End file.
